(A/N:The [1] in the last chapter referred to the surname I gave Judy. I did it cuz I ain't got a clue what it actually is. ^^U Thanks for the reviews! ^^
Tenma Neko: They deleted the fic cuz they're eviiiiil...._ They deleted it because of rating change (PG-13 - R.)
Neko Oni: *bows* Thank you very much. ^_^ I'm glad you like fic so much. I'm not giving just yet. Thank you for your support! ^_^ *hands you Rei and Kai plushies*
Mariah_Yin: I've got all the chapters written. All I'm doing is reposting them. ^^;;;; But, hey as long as someone's reading, I'll update. ^_^
Now, on with the fic!)
Dawn of Terror
Chapter 4: Pet Kitten
It was a cold Decemeber night and an icy wind was blowing, threatening more snow. The ancient automobile pulled up to the wrought-iron gates of the Hiwatari estate. Stopping on the snowy drive to confirm with the guard his business, the driver drove up to the stairs that lead onto the porch.
Stepping out of his car, he grabbed a bundle of blankets off the seat and tredded up the steps. He rung the bell and pulled his collar up around his ears. The huge oaken doors pulled back and warm light flooded out into the seven o'clock darkness. The driver handed the young servatn his parcel, then turned back to the heatless hoplessness of his rusting car.The maid shut the door with a bang and latched them again. Hefting the blankets into her arms, she made her way towards the upstairs parlor, bellowing, "Master Kai's persent has arrived!"
~*~*~*~*
Kai sat silent on the floor, looking towards the open door with the wonderment only a five-year-old could display. His unruly blue hair stuck up at odd angles and tumbled across his chubby face. His cute, upturned nose completed the adorable "kindergarten" look that he hated so much.
He wanted to be like his grandfather, who instilled fear in people when he walked into a room, rather than being "ooh"-ed and "ahh"-ed over and having his cheeks pinched. Kai still recalled his last run-in with his aunt Nadeshiko. His face had been red for three whole hours! It was after that incident that he'd started painting the double, blue triangles on his face. If people wanted to pinch his cheeks now, they'd get inky fingers.
At the moment, the only similarity he shared with is grandfather was his eye color- that passionate red that changed color as his moods changed. Despite his round face, Kai was rather lean for his age. He liked that, because the other boys at school thought he was athletic and tried to stay out of his way.
Now, the bluenette sat on the plush carpet at his grandfather's feet, the heat of the newly built fire washing over him. The parlor was set with many plush arm-chairs and cushioned footstools. There was a card table set in one corner, a coffee table in the other. The wall behind the door was lined with an overstuffed bookshelf. The fireplace mantle was covered with pictures- pictures of General Hiwatari in his uniform; with his wife, Sachi; with his daughter, Akira; with both women; Sachi and Akira together; indiviual portraits; Akira with a baby boy wrapped in a fuzzy blue blanket; a recent phot of Kai. The ex-soldier was, despite what some may have believed, a very family-oriented man.
The room was well lit most of the time. Now, only the reading lamp by his grandfather's chair was on, spreading a warm glow over the small area. The curtains had been drawn over the window and Kai couldn't see the fresh snow falling.
The maid, a pink-haired neko-jin named Mariah, who spoiled Kai to no end, walked into the room and set the bundle of blankets on the floor. "Your present, Master Kai."
She curtseyed and exited the room. Curiously, Kai crawled towards the blankets. He drew back when the pile of linen twitched, suddenly worried about bewitchment.
Presently, General Hiwatari lowered the book he was reading to watch the unfolding scene. Kai covered his eyes with one hand and gingerly lifted up the corners of the blankets. When his hand didn't get bitten off, he peered through the cracks between his fingers. Something with huge golden eyes was staring back at him. He let his hand fall to his side. The thing- whatever it was- stared up at him. "Mew?" it said, looking at Kai as though he were an alien.
Kai jabbed it with a chubby finger. It squirmed and hissed, bearing sharp canines. Kai retracted his finger, afraid of getting bitten. The thing was looking at him again. It was lying on its back, hands resting on its heaving chest. Unruly black hair tumbled across its forehead. Carefully, Kai pulled it out of its wrapper and held it at arms' length. "Mew?" it said again.
"Mew?" Kai mimicked, wrapping his tongue around the strange word.
"Mew!" it said and smiled, rubbing it's head against his wrist, making a funny sound.
It shook in his hands. Kai dropped it, startled by the movement. "It's shaking!" he exclaimed, starting to cry.
The thing on the floor started to cry too, pain jolting through it from the drop. General Hiwatari plucked Kai off the floor, trying to comfort the startled boy. "Shh, shh, Kai- it's okay."
"But-but! It was making a funny noise!"
"He was purring."
"Purring?" Kai asked, wiping tears out of his eyes.
"Yes. Like what Kitty does when she's happy?"
Kai brightened instantly at the mention of his cat. "Like Kitty!"
Soberly, he added, "Where is Kitty?"
Hiwatari looked away from his grandson, unable to tell the boy that his beloved pet was dead. "Kitty's hiding."
"Where?"
Hiwatari sighed and set Kai back on the floor. "Why don't you play with your present now?" he asked, indicating the "thing" on the floor, which had stopped crying now.
"What is it?" Kai asked, creeping closer to the thing.
"It's a neko-jin. Like Mariah."
"Like Mariah!" Kai shouted and immediately started petting his present.
The neko-jin hissed and moved away from Kai's touch. Kai's lower lip trembled. "It doesn't like me."
Hiwatari sighed and went back to his book. "Let it get to know you. And give it a name."
"Mariah!" Kai shouted instantly, wanting to honor the nurse-maid by naming his gift after her.
Hiwatari smiled. "This neko-jin is a boy, Kai. Give him a boy's name."
Kai thought for a moment, trying to make a decent "boy's" name out of "Mariah." "R...Re...Rei!" he shouted and the neko-jin kitten shrunk back into a corner at the noise. "Rei! Come here Rei! Rei?"
Kai's brow creased when "Rei" remained in his place. "He doesn't know his name yet. Give him time," advised Hiwatari, never lifting his eyes from his book.
Kai fished something out of his pocket, then offered it to the kitten. "Here. Have some."
The kitten moved cautiously out of his corner, slowly towards the offered object. He sniffed it curiously. "It's a cookie. You eat it," Kai murmured, feeling that his new pet didn't know WHAT this was.
Cautiously, the cat-like boy took a bite of the "cookie". "Go on, take it," Kai encouraged, getting tired of holding the cookie at arms length.
Timidly, the kitten plucked it from his grasp, truning it over curiously, nibbling on it a little. He started to purr. He finished the treat and licked the crumbs off his fingers, still purring. Kai felt like he had just made a friendly breakthrough with some unfriendly people in hostile land. The kitten moved closer to him and lay down, purring contentedly.
Tenma Neko: They deleted the fic cuz they're eviiiiil...._ They deleted it because of rating change (PG-13 - R.)
Neko Oni: *bows* Thank you very much. ^_^ I'm glad you like fic so much. I'm not giving just yet. Thank you for your support! ^_^ *hands you Rei and Kai plushies*
Mariah_Yin: I've got all the chapters written. All I'm doing is reposting them. ^^;;;; But, hey as long as someone's reading, I'll update. ^_^
Now, on with the fic!)
Dawn of Terror
Chapter 4: Pet Kitten
It was a cold Decemeber night and an icy wind was blowing, threatening more snow. The ancient automobile pulled up to the wrought-iron gates of the Hiwatari estate. Stopping on the snowy drive to confirm with the guard his business, the driver drove up to the stairs that lead onto the porch.
Stepping out of his car, he grabbed a bundle of blankets off the seat and tredded up the steps. He rung the bell and pulled his collar up around his ears. The huge oaken doors pulled back and warm light flooded out into the seven o'clock darkness. The driver handed the young servatn his parcel, then turned back to the heatless hoplessness of his rusting car.The maid shut the door with a bang and latched them again. Hefting the blankets into her arms, she made her way towards the upstairs parlor, bellowing, "Master Kai's persent has arrived!"
~*~*~*~*
Kai sat silent on the floor, looking towards the open door with the wonderment only a five-year-old could display. His unruly blue hair stuck up at odd angles and tumbled across his chubby face. His cute, upturned nose completed the adorable "kindergarten" look that he hated so much.
He wanted to be like his grandfather, who instilled fear in people when he walked into a room, rather than being "ooh"-ed and "ahh"-ed over and having his cheeks pinched. Kai still recalled his last run-in with his aunt Nadeshiko. His face had been red for three whole hours! It was after that incident that he'd started painting the double, blue triangles on his face. If people wanted to pinch his cheeks now, they'd get inky fingers.
At the moment, the only similarity he shared with is grandfather was his eye color- that passionate red that changed color as his moods changed. Despite his round face, Kai was rather lean for his age. He liked that, because the other boys at school thought he was athletic and tried to stay out of his way.
Now, the bluenette sat on the plush carpet at his grandfather's feet, the heat of the newly built fire washing over him. The parlor was set with many plush arm-chairs and cushioned footstools. There was a card table set in one corner, a coffee table in the other. The wall behind the door was lined with an overstuffed bookshelf. The fireplace mantle was covered with pictures- pictures of General Hiwatari in his uniform; with his wife, Sachi; with his daughter, Akira; with both women; Sachi and Akira together; indiviual portraits; Akira with a baby boy wrapped in a fuzzy blue blanket; a recent phot of Kai. The ex-soldier was, despite what some may have believed, a very family-oriented man.
The room was well lit most of the time. Now, only the reading lamp by his grandfather's chair was on, spreading a warm glow over the small area. The curtains had been drawn over the window and Kai couldn't see the fresh snow falling.
The maid, a pink-haired neko-jin named Mariah, who spoiled Kai to no end, walked into the room and set the bundle of blankets on the floor. "Your present, Master Kai."
She curtseyed and exited the room. Curiously, Kai crawled towards the blankets. He drew back when the pile of linen twitched, suddenly worried about bewitchment.
Presently, General Hiwatari lowered the book he was reading to watch the unfolding scene. Kai covered his eyes with one hand and gingerly lifted up the corners of the blankets. When his hand didn't get bitten off, he peered through the cracks between his fingers. Something with huge golden eyes was staring back at him. He let his hand fall to his side. The thing- whatever it was- stared up at him. "Mew?" it said, looking at Kai as though he were an alien.
Kai jabbed it with a chubby finger. It squirmed and hissed, bearing sharp canines. Kai retracted his finger, afraid of getting bitten. The thing was looking at him again. It was lying on its back, hands resting on its heaving chest. Unruly black hair tumbled across its forehead. Carefully, Kai pulled it out of its wrapper and held it at arms' length. "Mew?" it said again.
"Mew?" Kai mimicked, wrapping his tongue around the strange word.
"Mew!" it said and smiled, rubbing it's head against his wrist, making a funny sound.
It shook in his hands. Kai dropped it, startled by the movement. "It's shaking!" he exclaimed, starting to cry.
The thing on the floor started to cry too, pain jolting through it from the drop. General Hiwatari plucked Kai off the floor, trying to comfort the startled boy. "Shh, shh, Kai- it's okay."
"But-but! It was making a funny noise!"
"He was purring."
"Purring?" Kai asked, wiping tears out of his eyes.
"Yes. Like what Kitty does when she's happy?"
Kai brightened instantly at the mention of his cat. "Like Kitty!"
Soberly, he added, "Where is Kitty?"
Hiwatari looked away from his grandson, unable to tell the boy that his beloved pet was dead. "Kitty's hiding."
"Where?"
Hiwatari sighed and set Kai back on the floor. "Why don't you play with your present now?" he asked, indicating the "thing" on the floor, which had stopped crying now.
"What is it?" Kai asked, creeping closer to the thing.
"It's a neko-jin. Like Mariah."
"Like Mariah!" Kai shouted and immediately started petting his present.
The neko-jin hissed and moved away from Kai's touch. Kai's lower lip trembled. "It doesn't like me."
Hiwatari sighed and went back to his book. "Let it get to know you. And give it a name."
"Mariah!" Kai shouted instantly, wanting to honor the nurse-maid by naming his gift after her.
Hiwatari smiled. "This neko-jin is a boy, Kai. Give him a boy's name."
Kai thought for a moment, trying to make a decent "boy's" name out of "Mariah." "R...Re...Rei!" he shouted and the neko-jin kitten shrunk back into a corner at the noise. "Rei! Come here Rei! Rei?"
Kai's brow creased when "Rei" remained in his place. "He doesn't know his name yet. Give him time," advised Hiwatari, never lifting his eyes from his book.
Kai fished something out of his pocket, then offered it to the kitten. "Here. Have some."
The kitten moved cautiously out of his corner, slowly towards the offered object. He sniffed it curiously. "It's a cookie. You eat it," Kai murmured, feeling that his new pet didn't know WHAT this was.
Cautiously, the cat-like boy took a bite of the "cookie". "Go on, take it," Kai encouraged, getting tired of holding the cookie at arms length.
Timidly, the kitten plucked it from his grasp, truning it over curiously, nibbling on it a little. He started to purr. He finished the treat and licked the crumbs off his fingers, still purring. Kai felt like he had just made a friendly breakthrough with some unfriendly people in hostile land. The kitten moved closer to him and lay down, purring contentedly.